#stforum — Public Fediverse posts

#LetterOfTheWeek
#STForum: #Jailterm necessary as #deterrence matters in #careless #driving cases @straits_times
🧐"The consequences of an honest mistake can range fr financial loss to lives being upended.. When #death occurs, we need to just think of those left behind: someone losing a son, a father, a sibling, a close friend or a #breadwinner.. People r often guided by te severity of consequences attached to their actions. A #jail term can serve as a powerful #deterrent"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-jail-term-as-deterrence-matters-in-careless-driving-cases

#LetterOfTheWeek
#STForum: Sort out issues before imposing new #taxi cancellation #policies
"used to book a taxi via the #CDGZig #app quite often, but hv been avoiding it lately for several reasons.. Often, I get a notification tt te taxi has arrived when it hasn't, & tis makes me worry.. There hv also been instances where te taxi went to te wrong place & concluded tt I didn't turn up. He wld leave aft indicating a “no show”.. hope #ComfortDelGro will sort out te issues"🤔
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-sort-out-issues-before-imposing-new-taxi-cancellation-policies

#LetterOfTheWeek
#STForum: Think wider on #portability of #healthinsurance so more people can benefit
"MOH is studying portable private #insurance.. As past president of #Singapore Medical Assoc & a GP for ~40 years, I hope people will understand better why portability is essential as we grow older.. I urge #MOH to look beyond portability .. to include forced changes when changing employers, & most importantly loss of insurance #coverage upon loss of job or #retirement"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-think-wider-on-portability-of-health-insurance-so-more-people-can-benefit

#STForum: Retroactive charges for ward upgrades discourage patients fr getting subsidised treatment 1st
"current #policy is to #discourage e #behaviour where patients wld select lower ward classes to enjoy higher subsidies for more costly treatments, such as surgery, & then upgrade to higher ward classes once these treatments hv been completed. Many of these patients r NOT lower-income patients.. It's impt to ensure tt our subsidy $ r targeted at where they r needed most"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-retroactive-charges-for-ward-upgrades-discourage-patients-from-getting-subsidised-treatment-first

#LetterOfTheWeek
#STForum: Unfair to charge retroactive payments for #patients who transfer to higher class wards
"Retro-charging places an unnecessary financial burden on families already grappling w the emotional & physical challenges of caring for their loved ones. I hope tt #SGH or #Singapore #Ministry of #Health will review its #policy regarding #retroactive payment for ward transfers & consider removing this #anomaly. That wld alleviate #financialstrain on families"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-unfair-to-charge-retroactive-payments-for-patients-who-transfer-to-higher-class-wards

#Singapore #Administrative #LetterOfTheWeek
#STForum: Committed to doing better to respond to public feedback
"The Municipal Services Office & our partner agencies are committed to doing better in terms of strengthening inter-agency coordination to address #publicfeedback in a #timely & #thorough manner. We #apologise for the #administrativelapse that led to a delay in the removal."
#Exemplary conduct of a #responsible #publicofficer devoid of spin or rhetoric. #respect
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-committed-to-doing-better-to-respond-to-public-feedback

#LetterOfTheWeek #STForum
"I called up #Singapore National Eye Centre to make appointments for my elderly parents .. My mum has #cataracts & suffers from blurred vision, & my dad’s lower eyelid has been swollen for years. They were examined by a doctor at a polyclinic & were referred to the #SNEC .. I was #shocked when I was informed by SNEC that the next available #appointment date as a subsidised patient is in Sept 2024, which is more than a year away" #healthcare ⚕️🇸🇬🧐
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-too-long-a-wait-for-snec-appointment-for-subsidised-patients

#LetterOfTheWeek #Singapore
#STForum: Parents prefer not to burden children financially
#HDB "Lease Buyback Scheme has been enhanced to allow households flexibility to choose the length of #lease to be retained .. i.e., retained lease to last the youngest owner till at least 95 yrs old .. Parents wld prefer to be #financiallyindependent than rely on their children for monthly maintenance as they do not wish to burden them since they have a family of their own to support"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-parents-prefer-not-to-burden-children-financially

#LetterOfTheWeek #Singapore #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Are #seniors at risk of losing independence amid #digitalisation push?
"if more activities moved to the digital platform, would this lead in the future to seniors being misdiagnosed as having early onset #dementia when it could be that they are just not digitally competent? .. How can #policymakers make things simple for seniors instead of adding more layers to hinder them from being #independent?" #technology #society
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-are-seniors-at-risk-of-losing-independence-amid-digitalisation-push

#LetterOfTheWeek #Singapore #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Try thanking the sweeper in the park
"When I say “good morning” or “thank you” to them, they sometimes look puzzled as they do not know I am addressing them. But after eye contact is made and they realise I am talking to them, they give me a radiant #smile. And that makes me really #happy." 😊
#WakeUpCall #Singaporeans #ChuaMuiHoong #HonestLiving #TruthVsSpin #equality #empathy
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/letter-of-the-week-try-thanking-the-sweeper-in-the-park

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes #Singapore
#STForum: Harm from alcohol consumption outweighs any health benefit
"To the long list of the known deleterious effects of #alcohol, add lung #cancer, fractures, bowel/rectal cancers and #cataracts. The latest #WHO advisory is that the antioxidants polyphenols and resveratrols in red wine notwithstanding, there is no safe amount of alcohol imbibing that does not affect health. Earlier risks of alcohol are well documented"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-harm-from-alcohol-consumption-outweighs-any-health-benefit

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Squid Game-inspired event underscores inequality in society
"Migrant workers earn much less than most people in #Singapore. This event’s references to #SquidGame inadvertently underscored the #inequality in our own society. Perhaps instead of designing a Squid Game-style event, Pollisum could have distributed that $100,000 sum more equally among its workers." #empathy #hubrisOfMeritocracy
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-squid-game-inspired-event-underscores-inequality-in-society

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Squid Game-inspired event underscores inequality in society
"Migrant workers earn much less than most people in #Singapore. This event’s references to #SquidGame inadvertently underscored the #inequality in our own society. Perhaps instead of designing a Squid Game-style event, Pollisum could have distributed that $100,000 sum more equally among its workers." #empathy #hubrisOfMeritocracy
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-squid-game-inspired-event-underscores-inequality-in-society

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Squid Game-inspired event underscores inequality in society
"Migrant workers earn much less than most people in #Singapore. This event’s references to #SquidGame inadvertently underscored the #inequality in our own society. Perhaps instead of designing a Squid Game-style event, Pollisum could have distributed that $100,000 sum more equally among its workers." #empathy #hubrisOfMeritocracy
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-squid-game-inspired-event-underscores-inequality-in-society

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Squid Game-inspired event underscores inequality in society
"Migrant workers earn much less than most people in #Singapore. This event’s references to #SquidGame inadvertently underscored the #inequality in our own society. Perhaps instead of designing a Squid Game-style event, Pollisum could have distributed that $100,000 sum more equally among its workers." #empathy #hubrisOfMeritocracy
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-squid-game-inspired-event-underscores-inequality-in-society

#LetterOfTheWeek #StraitsTimes
#STForum: Time to end ‘no free water’ policy of #restaurants
"tap water in #Singapore is perfectly drinkable. We spend billions to ensure that this is so. In Japan & England, we were served tap water without even asking .. quest to squeeze the last drop of profit fr customers .. this irresponsible, short-sighted profit-at-all-costs attitude must stop. While I wld prefer tt they do so voluntarily, regulations shld be put in place if needed"
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-time-to-end-no-free-water-policy-of-restaurants

#LetterOfTheWeek #Singapore
#STForum: Healthcare set to get better, but for whom?
"when Ms Khalik says #healthcare is set to get better, what does she mean? I think it will be better for #MOH because healthcare #costs will be controlled or at least be more controllable. The medical #insurance companies may not feel the change either way as they can simply increase their premiums .. Better is always good. But in this case, better for whom? - Gerard Chee Hsien (Dr)" #truth
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-healthcare-set-to-get-better-but-for-whom